People who play sports or take part in regular exercise may experience injury.
Often this will be a mild injury. For example, one that can be treated at home with rest, ice, compression and elevation (commonly referred to as RICE). Pain relief medication and gentle stretching can also be of benefit for some sports injuries.
For more significant sports injuries, such as a torn ligament or ruptured tendon, specialist treatment and a guided recovery plan may be needed.
Unfortunately, accessing this type of specialist help can often take a long time, with days, weeks or even months between medical appointments and scans all affecting the speed of recovery. During this time, fitness levels, strength and aerobic capacity will often decline because of reduced activity.
Whether you have suffered a sports injury very recently, or a while ago but it is still not quite right, a private consultation with a sports injury specialist is an excellent way to get clarity about the best approach to treatment and recovery.
Physiotherapy, pain relief medication and other approaches to treatment can often be helpful in easing symptoms of many sports injuries. However, proper assessment and a tailored treatment and recovery plan is often the best way of getting back to an active lifestyle again as quickly and as safely as possible.
What to expect from your first sports injury appointment
When you first visit The Cavell Hospital, your consultant will talk with you in detail about your sports injury and the symptoms you have. They will want to know how and when the injury occurred, whether you have any pain and whether you have already received any type of treatment.
They will normally carry out a clinical examination of the affected area — looking at how easily and fully you can move it and any nearby joints. They will also look at whether there are any changes in sensation or imbalances in strength or muscle tone.
This may be all that is needed to confirm a diagnosis, but often additional diagnostic tests will be needed. Mr Atkinson’s experience in arranging further scans is another reminder that private treatment can provide fast access to a diagnosis and treatment plan.
“One of the things we can do very quickly is to organise imaging. On-site, we have access to X-ray imaging, MRI, CT and ultrasound. Some investigations can be done within a few minutes and others within 24 hours. These then help us to guide what happens next.”
By getting any diagnostic investigations carried out so quickly, a diagnosis can be made and a treatment plan tailored in a much more streamlined way.
Once the results of any further investigations are back, your consultant will meet with you to discuss them with you and to talk through suitable treatment options.
Mr Atkinson’s experience is that many people can get back to being active again and back to their normal levels of fitness fairly quickly with early intervention like physiotherapy or additional treatments.
However, it is important to have realistic expectations for your treatment and recovery from a sports injury. While some people will be able to recover quickly and fully from injury, others may take longer. Recovery might be limited due to a range of factors including age and the type and severity of the injury.
Your consultant will discuss this with you during your consultation, helping you to get a clearer idea of what your exercise capacity is likely to be in the future.
Given the complexity of the human body, it is not surprising that there are many different injuries that can occur while playing sports or taking part in an exercise activity. From ligaments, tendons and muscles to cartilage and bones, the list of potential injuries is extensive.
Below we have listed some of the more common sports injuries we see and treat at The Cavell Hospital. However, if you have any symptoms that are causing you pain or concern, a private consultation is a sensible first step.
Cartilage damage
Hyaline cartilage lines the joints and enables frictionless movement — Mr Atkinson describes it as like the smooth cartilage you may see on the end of a chicken bone. When this cartilage is damaged or broken down, arthritis develops.
If somebody has an acute injury to a joint, the cartilage can sometimes get damaged. Occasionally, bits of the joint surface itself may break off. This is known as osteochondral injury.
Meniscal tear
A knee meniscal tear is a tear in one or both crescent-shaped menisci (cartilage) that line the knee joint. You can find out more on our dedicated knee meniscal tear page.
Ligament damage
Ligaments are tough bands of fibrous tissue that connect bones together in joints.
In sports, tears to the ligaments in the knee are common, due to the excessive forces placed upon the joint when making fast, sudden twists, turns and direction changes in a game of football, rugby or tennis.
The knee has four main ligaments:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
An ACL tear is commonly mentioned in the media when a footballer has suffered a knee injury.
Fracture
High impact forces can cause a number of different fractures, including greenstick, spiral, hairline, compound and stress.
Common fractures related to sports include, but are not limited to, fractured clavicle (collarbone), fractured humerus (upper arm), fractured radius or ulna (the two bones of the forearm) and fractured femur (thighbone).
Bruising
Bruising is a discoloration under the skin due to damaged blood vessels. This can easily develop from a skiing fall, rugby or football tackle or another type of knock or impact to the body.
Dislocation
A common sport-related injury is shoulder dislocation while playing rugby. Shoulder dislocations can happen while playing a contact sport, such as rugby, or in other sports-related accidents.
The dislocation may also cause damage to the ligament, tendons and muscles in and around the shoulder. Any corresponding weakness or instability in the shoulder may also increase the likelihood of future dislocations.
Sprain
A sprain is a stretching or tearing of a ligament. A sprained ankle is a common sports injury. This can range from mild to severe depending on the extent of the damage.
Strain
A strain or small tear to a muscle or tendon is referred to as a strain. Groin strain is one of the more common types seen, but people will also sometimes refer to ‘pulling a muscle’. Similar to the sprain above, a strain can be mild or more severe depending on the damage done to the muscle or tendon.
Treatment for many sports injuries will start off conservatively (non-operatively) as these can often be all that is needed to relieve symptoms, manage pain and aid recovery.
Conservative treatment options include:
- Rest
- Physiotherapy
- Pain relief medication
- Joint injections
Physiotherapy for sports injury recovery
The physiotherapy department at The Cavell Hospital provides fast access to an experienced team of physiotherapists and a range of equipment to aid and promote recovery.
If specialist equipment is needed, this is available at another local Circle Health Group hospital. For example, Hendon Hospital has an AlterG® Anti-Gravity Treadmill® that reduces stress on injuries and joints in the lower body to help speed up recovery time.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT)
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) Involves passing shockwaves through the skin to the injured part of the body. You can read more on our extracorporeal shockwave therapy page.
Prehab for sports injuries
Many people will benefit from rehabilitation following an acute sports injury - this is known as ‘prehab’.
Mr Atkinson has seen many people get back to normal or very near normal with prehab: “If their knee is functioning well following prehab, then they can usually get back to doing sports without any kind of surgical intervention.”
Joint injections for sports injuries
Corticosteroid injections have been used for many years to help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Advances in medicine offer some exciting state-of-the-art treatments, which are available through your consultant at The Cavell Hospital.
Please note that some of these treatments may be delivered off-site by your consultant, but they will arrange this for you if appropriate.
ACL reconstruction surgery
Mr Atkinson says that about two-thirds of people with an ACL injury will end up having ongoing issues and may benefit from ACL reconstruction surgery.
“In ACL reconstruction, we borrow a piece of tissue from a different part of the knee or thigh and use it to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament. This is usually done as day case surgery, so you go home the same day. While the recovery is quite long for that, people can get back to doing sports over about eight to nine months.”
Meniscus repair
Many minor meniscal tears will get better with rehabilitation. Mr Atkinson’s experience is that a lot of cartilage tears will settle down, and these can be easily identified using appropriate scans.
Patients who aren’t improving may benefit from an operation to repair the meniscus. Mr Atkinson believes that repairing as much of the natural ‘shock absorber’ tissue as possible is ideal, as it can be better for the patient in the long term and is thought to help prevent future arthritis.
Meniscus transplant
A meniscus transplant is a possible option for people who have had meniscus tears that have not been repairable and who are starting to develop arthritis in the knee as a result.
If this is caught in the earlier stages of arthritis, a meniscus transplant can be used to replace the small bit of the meniscus that is left with donor tissue.
This restores some degree of shock-absorbing property within the knee and helps people to remain active.
Platelet-rich fibrin
This can be used to augment meniscus repair. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is derived from a patient's own blood. By taking a sample of blood and spinning it in a special centrifuge, the blood is separated into various components, one of which is PRF. This is then injected into the meniscus during the repair and is believed to augment healing.
Cartilage repair
Osteochondral repair is carried out to fix cartilage and bone that has broken off due to a sports injury. This is carried out by several knee and ankle consultants at The Cavell Hospital.
Cartilage grafting
Cartilage grafting is a biological treatment that places a biological substitute into the joint to act as a scaffold. Mr Atkinson describes it in this way:
“This biological substitute is glued in place. We then stimulate the bone to try and produce stem cells, which are then fitted within this scaffold (or matrix). This then grows into the joint cartilage. It isn’t exactly the same as what was there before, but it can be thought of as a ‘scar cartilage filler’ and it works very well.
A range of different cartilage grafts are available at The Cavell Hospital. Your consultant will discuss these with you.
Additional surgical treatments
In addition to the treatments above, we can provide a wide range of surgical options when needed, including total and partial knee replacement surgery and hip replacement surgery.
Here are some frequently asked questions about sports and orthopaedics injury treatments at The Cavell Hospital, Enfield.
Do you see children and teenagers with sports injuries at The Cavell Hospital?
While we can only see and treat adults aged 18+ at The Cavell Hospital, we can see children and teenagers at other local Circle Health Group hospitals, the nearest one being The Kings Oak Hospital. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a sports injury consultation at one of these hospitals as we would be delighted to help.
How quickly can I get a sports injury appointment at The Cavell Hospital?
Private consultations for sports injuries are available six days a week (Monday to Saturday). You can book your consultation online or by phoning us on 020 8366 2122.
Does The Cavell Hospital have parking?
Yes, we have on-site parking for 80 cars at The Cavell Hospital. Parking is free of charge for patients and visitors.
How much will treatment for a sports injury cost at The Cavell Hospital?
Details of our fixed-price packages can be seen here. For peace of mind, you will always receive written confirmation of your treatment price after your initial consultation and any investigations have been carried out.
Don’t let a sports injury limit you any longer than is necessary. Book a private consultation online today or call us on 020 8366 2122 to speak with one of the friendly team at The Cavell Hospital.
We look forward to welcoming you to The Cavell Hospital in Enfield and helping you to get back to your normal active lifestyle as soon as possible.
